Shouldn’t after school clubs be for everybody?

[Passionfruitlove]

8yo (year 4) DS school offers free after school clubs. They start the second week of every new term. He usually attends football and basketball. School sends an invite out via email then we click on a link to register interest. Yesterday I realised I hadn’t received any emails about it so I phoned the office. They told me that emails were sent out and all places were fully booked. I told them that I hadn’t received any emails and was told that the sports coach had started offering places based on ability.

DS then told me that 3 boys out of his class had been chosen for both football and basketball. I understand going off ability for competitions/tournaments but surely after school clubs should be for everyone?!

That's not ok, but that's different to what you said above.

Completely unfair the clubs should be about enriching pupils lives not winning mentality. It automatically rules out less able kids and potentially kids who haven't had private lessons .

I'd complain to the head as in this scenario there are children missing out who potentially won't have opportunities else where.

Completely agree with you op. It’s exclusionary and discriminatory to do it any other way.
But I do remember them doing it this way in Primary school in the 80s too (I can only speak for netball)
In the first few years, anyone could play netball after school. But after those first few years, our netball coach had picked those of us she wanted to focus on training up for the school team, so after we reached a certain age nobody else new could join and those that she didn’t deem good enough for the team were no longer invited to play after school.
It’s awful now I think about it, but I was too focused on being the best I could be back then 🤣

This sounds like sports teams, not after school clubs. In which case, it's fine imo to select based on ability.
The school should be offering some after school clubs that are just that though - clubs for anyone to attend, if they get a space. Sports and other activities. Shame if they've had to stop this. Likely a cost issue.

Some children are naturally good at sports. So saying how can they be talented at both is ridiculous because you know the answer is yes they can! However, any after school clubs should be fully inclusive of the are free. I am assuming it’s not for a school team going to play in inter school competitions where they are more likely to choose those with an aptitude for the sport!

Is it a free club or a paid for club?
Is it run by the school or an outside agency?
Does it market itself as an 'elite' type training club for the most able players?

Maybe the school could look at finding an alternative provider who will offer a less competitive club as well?

Or is there an alternative outside of school you could look into?

Sorry - I missed the 'free' at the start of the message!

They only have limited places I've found

This. Plus, how are you supposed to improve if you don't get a chance to take part. None of those childen are going to do football as a career so they should all be allowed to play. Perhaps the organiser has delusions of grandeur.

This isn’t after school child care, it’s an afterschool club! The two are totally different things!

That would only apply to the paid/employed curriculum part of their day, not to a free after school club,
Quite likely the teacher isn't paid for the after school club and it's not part of their school's curriculum.

If the sports coach wants extra practices for the school team, he needs to arrange those separately from after school clubs.

I'd suggest politely querying this with the school head and then taking it to the governors if necessary.

Interchangeable in the real world. People use afterschool clubs primarily for childcare because they are working. It is wraparound care and it matters if it’s the only wraparound care the school provides.

Agree with you. At my children’s primary, the PE teacher focused solely on the very sporty kids who were good enough to be in the teams that competed against other schools. Inevitably this was the same handful of kids who were in all the teams (ie the best runners were also the best footballers and the best hockey players,etc). So around 80% of kids were not encouraged to improve or get involved in sport, it’s awful.

Agree with you that after school clubs open to all shouldn't be cherry picked for ability but just playing devils advocate you said he usually attends both, maybe this term it was given to someone else to have a chance of attending given it may come down to max numbers? He might get the opportunity again in the summer term.

Not really, some parents are more organised than others. After school clubs don't have to be offered, for the time being this is being offered on ability.

Echo this. Aside from the fact that completely agree with people, primary school should be encouraging all children to participate in and enjoy sport regardless of ability level, and not picking the good ones at such an early age will really entrench children going through life thinking they're 'not sporty', I am baffled that some parents are effectively getting free childcare when others aren't, based on their children's sporting ability.

This is not a true ‘afterschool club’ if it’s on ability, so it shouldn’t be called as such. It’s a school sports team that practices after school with an entrance requirement.

Agree it's not fair.

Our clubs are all first come first served. Which has its own issues but at least everyone has a chance.

All year groups/departments are expected to run an afterschool club for at least one term, it's directed time

If it's directed time I don't think it should be exclusionary.

Primary school sports should never be based on the ability that a child currently shows. Their physique, agility and strength change so much in a short period, that in a little while those not showing much skill can improve immensely.
The school should be knocking this selection process on the head now.

Really out of order at that age. Kids should be being encouraged to participate in sport, not being told they aren't good enough so may as well go home and get on the X Box

Is this an independent?

If it's primary, it almost certainly won't be directed time. Most primaries don't even reference the term and hope their staff don't know about it.

In our school it's pupil premium children first, then first come first serve for any remaining places.
Recently found out about clubs that are only on offer to pupil premium children. They are also all the nice clubs like boxing, drama and yoga.

As this is out of school hours, I don’t think the school is obliged to offer free spaces for all.